Ealph john smith



(No Model) R. J. SMITH.

' MARINE ENGINHGOVERNOR.

N0. 314,889. Patented Mar. 81, 1885.

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N. PETERS. mm-ulm ra ben Wuhingon. D4 C.

UNITED STATES PATENT I OFFICE.

RALPH JOHN SMITH, on JOHN STREET, SUNDERLAND, ENGLAND.

MARINE-ENGINE GOVERNOR.

@PEGJIFICATIQN forming part of LettersgPatent No. 314,889, dated March 31, 1885. Application filed May 13, 1884. (No model.) Patented in England December .23, 1881, No. 5,637.

To all wit/0712, it may concern:

Be it known that I, RALPH J OHN SMITH, a subject of the Queen of Great Britain, residing in John Street, Sunderland,England, have invented certain new and useful Improved Marine-Engine Gover'nors,of which the following is a specification.

The object of this invention is improved means and apparatus for automatically controlling the action of marine engines and their screw-propellers by an opening or closing of the throttle-valve by rods from an atmospheric cylinder acted upon by the condenser, the cylinder-valve being operated by a pendulum while maintaining its vertical position during the varying motions of a vessel.

For the purposes of my invention I swivel the cylinder within a suitable frame, that the pendulum may act in all directions, and I so To put my invention into practice I fit a;

cylinder horizontally in the engine-room or in some other convenient part of the vessel, which cylinder is in direct communication with the'condenser of the engine by a pipe leading to a valve-box provided with ports for the entry of air to the condenser, and the air is admitted into the other ports, thus working the piston backward and forward. The valve of the governingcylinder, which lies across the face of the box, is attached to a lever or kicker, and the lever or kicker is actuated by the pendulum, whose upper part is carried on center pins or gimbals to permit it to maintain a vertical position during all and every motion of the vessel. The condenser is attached to the center of piston-valve-box exhaust-port, which in my invention draws the atmosphere out of one "end of the cylinder, the other port being open to the atmosphere, which forces the piston back. When the opposite motion takes place,the piston returns again. The cylinder is provided with a piston whose rod leads direct, or by other rods and levers, to the throttle-valve of the marine engine,and according to the position of the aircylinder valve, so will it be opened or closed more or less to regulate the entry of steam to the working cylinder or cylinders.

For the purposes-of my invention,which. will be well understood by reference to the annexed drawings, I lead a pipe from the condenser to a port, A, of the valve-box B, so that a'vacuum is formed within the cylinder 0 on that side of the piston D whose passage is open more or less when the stern of the vessel becomes more or less submerged from pitching.

I adjust the position of the valve F in accordance with the trim of the vessel, whether she be low in the water at the stern or otherwise, by the valve-lever Gand an adj usta- "ble collar, H, anda parbuckle, I, connected to it and the stern J, ofa suspended weight, iK, whose upper end is pivoted by set-screws Ii L, arranged through the upper part of a skeleton frame or standard, M.

The connection of the parbuckle to the stem J is by an adjustable collar, N, which can be set higher or lower on the stem J, as desired. and the upper end of the lever G can be set closer to or farther away from the uprights M M by the thumb-screw of the parbuckle, which works on a right and a left handed screw-pin, Q R, for the purpose. The valve F is formed with two rings, S T, at a distance apart, and fitting the valve box B, both ends of which are open for the free entry of air to the back or to the front of the piston D which may be open to it, thereby equilibrating the piston at all times until the suction from the condenser takes place, which overcomes the equilibrium and causes it to move in the properdirection. I arrange two plates, U V, one at each side of the frame M, for rollers WV, fitted in the suspended weight K, to ride against to prevent any sticking action, which might occur from a side or lurching motion of the vessel if such appliances were not provided. The cylinder 0 has atop plate, X, so arranged with the bottom plate, Y, of the frame lVI that one can be set at an angle with the other to insure a direct action with the throttle-valve lever or rod from the piston-rod E. The two plates X Y are also so arranged that the cylinder 0 can be turned about and set at any angle, with its rod E to the right or to the left, according to the position the apparatus may be fixed by its flanges Z Z in the engine-room or at any other part of the vessel. The valve F and the lever G, with the parbuckle and other accessories, can be affixed to the projections a a of the frame M, these being counterparts of those I) b on the opposite side.

Figure 1 is a front view of the apparatus complete; Fig. 2, an end view; Fig. 3, a longitudinal vertical section showing the valve F in the position it occupies for the suction to take place from the front end of the cylinder 0, and the piston D to move in the direction of the arrow. Fig. 4 is a plan of the plate Y of the frame M, the valve-box B being in section.

The suspended weight always maintains its vertical position, the ship lifting at the head or at the stern causing the-frame and the cylinder to move with it, and thus open and close thedports to enable the piston D to be actuate c c are springs within each end of the cylinder G to take the shock of the piston and to prevent it knocking against the ends of the cylinder.

I am aware that pendulu ms have been fitted in vessels to regulate or control the admission of steam to the working cylinders; but they have not answered satisfactorily for many reasons, notably from undue pressure of the steam fixing the pendulum and thereby reducing its sensitiveness. By my invention the piston of the air or atmospheric cylinder which is the controlling-cylinderreceiving its action direct from the condenser, insures the throttle-valve being operated.

I claim as my invention 1. The combination of the atmospheric cylinder having a piston-rod to connect with the throttle-valve of a marine engine, a valvecasing open to the external atmosphere and containing a slide-valve, and a pipe for connecting the valve-casing with the condenser of the engine, with the pendulum, and connections between the pendulum and the air-cylinder valve for automatically regulating and controlling the admission of steam to the marine engine by the suction or vacuum in the atmospheric cylinder operating the piston therein, substantially as described.

2. The combination of the piston, the airreceiving cylinder in communication with the external atmosphere, the valve-casing open at its ends, and having a port to connect with a condenser, the cylinder air-valve, the pendulum, and adjustable connections between the air-valve and pendulum for controlling the admission of steam to a marine engine by the suction or vacuum in the air-cylinder actuating the piston therein, substantially as described.

3. The combination of'the pendulum swiveled by a joint, whereby it can swing with the air-cylinder in communication with the external atmosphere, the air-valve, the open valve-casing, the pivoted lever connected with the valve, the collar vertically adjustable on the stem of the pendulum, and a lengthwise adjustable connection between the pivoted lever and the collar, substantially as described;

In witness whereof I have hereunto signed my name in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

RALPH JOHN SMITH. Witnesses:

. JNO. G. N ASBET,

36 Nile Sti, Sunderland, England.

E. D. NIooL,

6 Humbledon View, Sunderland, England. g 

